Raising the Next Generation
by Darkwraith
Summary: Dusty decided to retire from racing, join the team at Piston Peak, and marry Dipper. Now, they are raising a family with the help of the rest of the team. Meanwhile, Blade has his own son to raise. Rated T for wiggle room. Dusty/Dipper, Blade/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Planes. Disney does.

 **A/N:** I wasn't sure what to title this chapter, so it's not the best.

 **A New Beginning**

Blade sighed as he looked up at the cloudless sky from his perch on the ledge. Another uneventful night with no storms approaching. Oh well, at least he could watch his team without them noticing. For some reason he couldn't fathom, they were all entering the main hanger, usually in groups of two or three. Dipper and Dusty were the last to arrive at the hanger as they slowly rolled through the base, talking excitedly about something. As hard as he tried, they were too far away for Blade to hear what they were saying. As he watched Maru let them in, he reflected on the events of the past year.

One year ago, Dusty had showed up on base to become a firefighter. While Blade wasn't happy with his new trainee, figuring he was just a stuck-up punk who was looking for yet another way to attract females, Dipper was over the moon about his presence. Another reason to not want Dusty there. As if flying through a restricted airspace, not watching where he was going, flying low enough to blow embers everywhere, and getting himself covered in retardant wasn't enough, now Blade would have to worry about Dipper focusing on her job and not on the famous racer.

As time went on though, Blade noticed that the modest act Dusty'd put on when they'd first met wasn't an act at all. He really was modest, which made Blade start to wonder why the famous racer had given up racing to become a firefighter. Eventually, Dusty revealed that his engine was damaged and he couldn't race anymore. Seeing Dusty unable to admit to that fact, even to himself, Blade couldn't help but feel pity for the young plane. That plus the fact that Dusty had, up to that point, worked as hard as he could even with a damaged engine made the chopper rethink everything he'd thought about the SEAT.

When Dusty went down saving that old RV couple, it shook Blade to the core. Not only did Dustys' crash remind him of Nick, the young plane didn't deserve to go down hard like that. Thankfully, Maru was able to fully repair him, and he went on to continue his successful racing and firefighting careers. Blade was proud when he read about how Dusty and Mayday had saved Propwash Junction from an arsonist-started fire that threatened the entire town. Later the entire air attack team was watching the news leading up to the WATG rally, when the announcer said that Dusty announced he was retiring from racing after the rally, so he could focus on firefighting, shocking everyone at the air attack base. Needless to say, Dipper and the smokejumpers weren't the only ones who watched Dustys' last race.

Now, watching Maru close the hanger doors, Blade couldn't help but think that Dusty had made the right decision. With this years' fire season being unusually severe, the Piston Peak air attack fire chief was glad to have another aircraft to help out. Of course, luck had a part in Dusty being on base: the cousin of one of the residents of Propwash Junction, a newly certified fire truck who was looking for a job, was staying with his cousin and Mayday agreed to let him stay on for the fire season so Dusty could help out at Piston Peak.

After looking at the sky for awhile longer, Blade decided to go see what his team was up to. Granted, they all gathered in the main hanger almost every night, but this time he decided to let his curiosity about what went down in the hanger get the best of him. No one noticed him when he quietly opened the hanger doors and slipped in. They were too focused on whatever show they were watching. Great. They were watching Chops. Wonderful. And were they playing a drinking game every time he used his hoist on the show? Before he could say anything, the show ended and he heard Dynamite say something about how attractive he was! It was about that time Maru happened to look over and see Blade sitting there shocked speechless. Before Maru could utter a word of warning, Dipper stated that Dusty was even more attractive than Blade. This led to an argument between Dipper, Dynamite, and Pinecone about which aircraft was more attractive, while the guys wisely kept their mouths shut. Finally, after a few moments, Blade rolled closer, and said "so, you think I'm attractive?" The hanger instantly went dead quiet. Everyone slowly turned to stare in horror at their boss. The effect was so comical, it took every ounce of willpower Blade had not to laugh. After a few minutes of giving his entire team his trademark stare while they shifted uncomfortably, The air boss said "next time you guys gather to watch Chops, invite me. I want in." After getting a nod from everyone, he turned and left.

Needless to say, the party broke up after Blade left. As he headed for his hanger, Blade noticed out of the corner of his eye Dipper and Dusty rolling away slowly, one of Dippers' wings folded down over Dusty, while he seemed to be enjoying her affection. What the hey? Last year, Dipper'd been so clingy that Blade really thought she'd end up getting a restraining order served on her. After looking at them for a moment, Blade quietly followed them, wondering what they were up to. After all, he still had time before he had to show up for his own date.

The young couple rolled to the edge of the base and stopped, looking up at the stars. "It's so quiet at night," Dipper sighed. Dusty agreed. "So," Dipper continued, "how did your friends back home react when you announced your retirement from racing?" Dusty looked over at her and smiled. "Well, Dottie was quite happy, Skipper, sparky, and Mayday were supportive, Leadbottom was hopeful I'd return to dusting crops, and Chug... Well, Chug kinda went into orbit." Dusty had to bite his lower lip to keep from laughing at the memory of his best friends' reaction. "What do you mean by 'went into orbit?'", Dipper asked. "He freaked out and started blaming the other racers for teasing me so much, I was forced to quit racing," Dusty responded, "he went on for about ten minutes before I could even get a word in edgewise. Not only that, he also wanted to spike their fuel with his special high-grade." While it was true that some of the younger racers gave Dusty a hard time about racing a firefighting plane, their taunting stopped two races before the Wings Around the Globe rally. "I bet that fire you helped put out during that one race stopped the jabs," Dipper replied. "Oh, yeah," Dusty responded. After the race, which Dusty had won, one racer went to land, only to discover his landing gear had not fully deployed which resulted in him skidding down the runway, sparks from his fuselage igniting the dry grass near the spectators. As per his eager to help personality, Dusty helped extinguish the fire before rolling to the winner's circle.

Unbeknownst to Dusty and Dipper, Blade was parked nearby, listening to every word they were saying. 'Yep, that sounds like Dusty,' he thought, grinning to himself. A part of him wished he could keep Dusty as part of his team full-time. But, practical helicopter that he was, Blade knew that Propwash Junction needed two firefighters. He was lucky there was someone who could take Dustys' place for awhile. Blade would never admit it to anyone, but he would be all too happy to have the former racer on his team. Then, Dusty said something that caused Blade to get his hopes up.

"So, remember that exciting news I said I had earlier?," he asked. "How could I forget? I thought you'd never get around to telling me!," Dipper exclaimed. "Ok, so you know how I told you that Daves' cousin is staying with him while he looks for a firefighting job? Well, Skipper told me earlier today that the reason he's having a hard time finding a job is because he wants to work in a place where there's not a whole lot of action, so we discussed the possibility of him being hired on as Maydays' assistant and my staying here full time if Blade would have me."

Until that moment, Blade didn't believe that _anyone_ on the base could be _anywhere_ near as loud as Avalanche until he heard Dippers' response to Dusty. She squealed so loudly that Blade was shocked the rest of the base wasn't rushing over to see what was up. Or, maybe they were but the sound of their engines were drowned out by Dipper. As it was, Blade wondered if he'd suffered permanent hearing damage from his close proximity to Dippers' over-enthusiasm. After a few minutes, when Dipper had finally calmed down and the ringing in Blades' ears stopped, he rolled forward and said: "you can stay on here if you want. I'd be happy to have you as part of my team. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date at the lodge." At that, Blade started his engine and flew towards the lodge.

Dusty and Dipper stared at each other for a few seconds after Blades' announcement. "A date?," Dipper asked, surprised. "Blade?," Dusty added, equally surprised. After a few moments, Dusty cleared his throat nervously, and said, "there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. So, now that we'll be living on the base together, would, would you... marry me?"

For a few seconds, Dipper was too surprised to reply. After Dusty had finally woken up following his crash, they'd been secretly dating, seeing each other whenever circumstances would allow. Both of them had expressed regrets that they couldn't see each other as much as they would've liked, but now with Dusty joining the Piston Peak team full time, there was no reason to keep their relationship secret anymore. "YES! Of course!," Dipper screamed, loud enough to be heard by everyone on the base. Smiling, Dusty suggested that they go celebrate, stating that he had a few cans of Chugs' special high-grade stashed in the hanger he used while there. As they headed to get it, they failed to notice everyone still on base watching their every move.

Dynamite and Pinecone couldn't help but smile as they watched the lovebirds roll into Dippers' hanger with several cans of what Dynamite suspected was high-grade and shut the door. The two jumpers turned to their teammates and said in unison, "ok boys, time to pay up!" Drip, Avalanche, and Blackout groaned as they went to get their carefully hidden high-grade to give to the girls. Meanwhile, Maru was watching from his own hanger, laughing. Those three should've known not to bet against Pinecone and Dynamite when it came to whether or not Dusty and Dipper were dating. The three jumpers had somehow managed to hide their stash of high-grade from Blade, only to end up giving it to their boss and Pinecone. He couldn't wait to tell Blade about this.

Cabbie and Windlifter were watching the goings on from in front of Cabbies' hanger. Windlifter looked over at Cabbie and said, "your turn to pay up." Cabbie cringed and said, "couldn't we just call it an IOU?" Windlifter shook his head and said simply, "pay up." Cabbie groaned and backed into his hanger to get his own secret stash.

Meanwhile, Blade was rolling into the lodge, wondering how he let old Jammer talk him into this date. He said he was too busy, but the old superintendent insisted. A friend of one of the female employees at the lodge was vacationing at the park, and she thought her friend could use a real date, her first since her ex-boyfriend had left her for a Learjet. Blade noticed an AgustaWestland aw139 rolling towards him. "Blade Ranger?," she asked. His jaw nearly hit the floor. At that moment, he couldn't figure out what her ex had seen in the Learjet. She was green with black stripes running down the middle of her body. "Yeah, I'm Blade Ranger," he said. _'I'm gonna have to remember to thank Jammer for this,'_ he thought as they rolled towards the bar, while she introduced herself.


	2. Announcement,Planning and Wedding

**Disclaimer:** I don't own planes.

 **The Official Announcement, Planning and Wedding**

The next morning, Blade slowly rolled up the road to the base. He knew he shouldn't have had that high-grade. Unlike everyone else on the base, he rarely drank anything higher than mid-grade. At least his date was fun. Jenny was so fun-loving and easy to talk to, he'd ended up staying at the lodge with her overnight. Now, he needed to talk to Maru about this pounding headache. As he entered the base, he noticed that something was wrong. It was way too quiet. Normally, everyone would be up and about, but the only vehicles he could see were Patch and Maru.

Maru was happily going about his business when he heard someone slowly approaching. When he turned around and saw Blade, he became concerned. Blade looked horrible. The mechanic rushed over to his boss and asked, "what's wrong, Blade?" Blade groaned. "I need something for this pounding headache." Maru motioned his boss to follow him into his hanger. "By the way, boss," Maru said quietly, "the others are sleeping in this morning." "Why?," Blade muttered as he rolled into the hanger right behind the team mechanic. "Because everyone was celebrating," Maru said cheerfully. "I haven't seen so much high-grade on the base since you've been here." Blade watched as Maru rolled over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of pills. Shaking out two, he placed the bottle back and rolled over to the large red helicopter. "Here, take these, you'll feel better."

Blade swallowed the proffered pills. "So," he continued, "why was everyone celebrating, exactly?" Maru smiled, and said, "so it's official. Dusty and Dipper are engaged." At that Blade sat up straighter on his landing gear. "Really?! Since when did they start dating?!" Maru laughed quietly. "Remember that 'business trip' Dipper took several months ago? After she got back, I heard her talking to Dynamite and Pinecone about visiting Propwash Junction. I suspect they started dating before we went to Propwash Junction for their corn festival."

Blade was floored by that revelation. "And you didn't tell me?," he asked, slightly annoyed. Maru shrugged. "I thought everyone knew," he said simply, "although after watching all that high-grade being passed around because of lost bets, I realized I was wrong." At that, Blade couldn't help but grin. "Do tell," he said. Maru laughed as the memories from last night came back to him. "Blackout, Drip, and Avalanche had a bet going _against_ Dynamite and Pinecone. Those three didn't think Dusty and Dipper were dating. They had to give the girls their entire stash." Blade couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the three base troublemakers losing a bet they really shouldn't have made in the first place. "And then, there was Cabbie and Windlifter," Maru continued, trying hard not to laugh, "Cabbie lost the same bet against Windy and tried to call it an IOU. Windlifter was having none of it!" By that time, Maru was laughing too hard to continue. Blade joined in. "I wish I'd been here to witness that! Too bad my date was last night!"

About that time, Windlifter rolled up. "Welcome home, boss," he said by way of greeting. Blade nodded once. "So I heard everyone was celebrating an engagement last night," the air boss said. Before Windlifter could respond, the door to Dippers' hanger was pushed open, and Dipper and Dusty rolled out, laughing about something Dipper had said. "If you thought that was entertaining, you should've been in Propwash Junction in early November!," Dusty said, trying hard not to laugh, "Leadbottom got so tired of hearing the younger aircraft complain about the cold, he took it upon himself to spend the night outside on the tarmac to prove it wasn't _that_ cold out!" By this time, everyone else had left their hangers and were now listening to Dustys' story intently. "Go on," Dipper said, a huge smile on her face. "So anyway, Dusty continued, "that night a freezing rain came through. Early the next morning, we found the old biplane covered in ice, literally frozen to the tarmac. It took us some time to chisel his landing gear out so we could tow him into Dotties' garage so she could thaw him out. The whole time, he was uttering some rather colorful words." At that, everyone started laughing hard.

The sound of everyone laughing around him wasn't doing Blades' headache any good. Neither was his own laughter, but he ignored the pain as best he could. Dustys' story was just so funny. He could see the SEATs' former boss doing something crazy like that just to prove a point. The old plane didn't seem all there, but that could be chalked up to pure stubbornness or his rigid way of looking at the world. A part of Blade understood where the old biplane was coming from. He too, could be very stubborn and rigid, especially when it came to his rules. He looked around at his crew. All of them looked like they could fly out at that moment if need be. Which was good, because they never knew when a fire would break out. He cleared his throat to get everyones' attention. "Ok everyone," Blade said in his firmest tone, "I'll allow last night to slide, but no more high-grade for anyone until after the fire season is over." He looked everyone in the eye, letting them know how serious he was. After they all agreed, Blade looked over at Dusty and Dipper and said, "you two come with me." He than rolled towards his hanger, with the two planes following.

Blade stopped near his hanger and turned around to face the planes. "I didn't want to have this conversation with everyone around," he said. "First off, congratulations. Although, I wish I knew you were dating. I hate being the last one on the base to find out what's going on with my crew. Second, you'll have to wait until fire season is over to get married. Third, where do you plan on getting married?" Dusty and Dipper glanced at each other. "We discussed this last night, and we plan to get married in Propwash Junction sometime after the fire season ends," Dusty said. "Besides, since I'm moving out here, I have to pack up my stuff and arrange for a cargo plane, as well as say goodbye to everyone. I'm going to call Skipper sometime today and have him help make arrangements. First, we wanted to ask everyone individually whether or not you want to attend, starting with you."

Although Blade would never admit it, he thought Dipper and Dusty made a good couple, and he couldn't be happier for them. "I'd love to attend," he said, "now if you'll excuse me, I've got some things to do in my hanger." With that, he turned and rolled into his hanger. After staring at Blade for a few seconds, Dipper and Dusty turned and rolled over to the others. A short time later, after everyone else accepted the invitation, Dipper asked Patch if she wanted to be there for their wedding. "Sure," she said, I'll just have to arrange for a transport, as I don't think Cabbie could carry the smokejumpers, Maru and me."

While Dipper was talking to Patch, Dusty rolled into his hanger and contacted Skipper. After Dusty told him he had some news for them, Skipper asked him if he'd hold on so he could find Dottie, Sparky, Chug, and Mayday. Once they were all assembled, Skipper said, "ok, what's the big news?" Dusty cleared his throat and said, "well, since you were able to find another firefighter, I popped the question to Dipper." For a few seconds, there was silence, followed by cheering and shouts so loud, Dusty thought there had been an explosion. After a few moments of pure cacophony, during which, Mayday blared his siren, Skipper finally managed to get a few words in. "Congratulations, Dusty!," he exclaimed. At that, everyone else calmed down. "So, Dusty," Dottie said, "when do you plan on getting married, and do you plan on having your wedding here?" "Well," Dusty replied, "after this fire season ends, we plan to fly to Propwash Junction and have a simple wedding there. That's one of the reasons I contacted you. We need you to help with some of the details. We plan to get married the first week of October." At that, Dottie cut in, "sure, we'll help any way we can. Just let us know what needs to be done."

Cabbie was rolling down the tarmac, lost in thought when he heard what sounded like an explosion come from Dustys' hanger. Changing course, he rushed over to see what was up. By the time he got there, he could hear Dusty talking about wedding plans with his friends back in his hometown. Turning, he headed back to his own hanger, thinking about contacting Skipper later that evening. Having lost that bet with Windlifter, Cabbie needed to restock his private stash of high-grade.

In the early afternoon, Blade rolled out of his hanger. He was glad it was an uneventful day without any fires. Before he made it ten feet away from his hanger, Maru rolled up to him. "So, how're you feeling?," he asked. "Much better," Blade replied, "so, what did I miss?" Maru gave him his biggest grin. "Aside from the explosion from Dustys' hanger, which was his friends' reaction to the announcement, not a whole lot. Dipper and Dusty are planning on getting married the first Wednesday of October, and they plan for all of us to get there a couple days before the wedding, and stay for a couple days after. Dustys' hometown friends have already made all the arrangements." Blade looked thoughtful. "So, how long will we be gone exactly?," he asked. "About a week," Maru answered. Blade considered this for a few minutes. A vacation _would_ be nice, especially since he would get a chance to catch up with Mayday. Plus, he figured Maru would like to talk shop with Dottie again, and surely, Cabbie and Skipper would trade more war stories. Nodding at the mechanic, Blade rolled through the base, listening to the others discussing the upcoming event.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

To Blade, the next two months passed quickly. There were several fires, most of them large enough to keep the team busy for entire days, and the smokejumpers off-base for days at a time. He saw Jenny a few more times before she flew back to New York. While he knew he'd miss her companionship, Blade knew that it would never really work out. He was a firefighter in a national park, and she worked for a rich forklift as his transport, flying him all over the world. Finally, in late September, a few good rainstorms came through, ending the season early. With the fire danger mostly past, Blade felt comfortable leaving Piston Peak with his team. He was only slightly surprised when a huge cargo plane landed at the base and introduced himself as the transport for Patch and Maru. The original plan was for everyone to leave when the plane landed and Patch and Maru loaded up, but owing to a delay, the cargo plane didn't land until just before sunset, so Blade decided that they would leave first thing in the morning.

The next morning, as everyone was loading up and fueling, superintendent Jammer entered the base. "Well, guys," he said, "enjoy your vacation. You've all earned it. I'm sorry I couldn't attend the wedding, but I still have work to do here." At Dusty and Dippers' request, Patch had contacted Jammer, about attending the wedding himself, but he'd respectfully declined, saying he had way too much to do at the park. He did offer his congratulations though. "Don't worry about fires here," he continued, "I called in a couple of tankers from a nearby county to come stay until you get back, just in case." Blade thanked him, and he left. A short time later, everyone took to the skies and headed towards Dustys' hometown.

When they arrived in Propwash Junction, the whole town turned out to offer their congratulations to the engaged couple. Dottie pulled Dipper aside and told her not to let Dusty do anything too reckless as he had a tendency to do. Dipper promised she'd try her best. Skipper and Cabbie got together and exchanged stories, while Chug and Sparky gave Drip, Blackout, and Avalanche ideas for pranks to pull back at the base, much to Dynamites' chagrin, and Maru and Dottie discussed all things mechanical. Later that night, Skipper, Dottie, Sparky, Chug, Dusty, and the rest of the Piston Peak crew gathered at the local hangout where Dusty proved he could dance, much to the shock of his friends, especially Blade and Skipper. When it came to karaoke though, he proved he couldn't sing to save his life. Everyone did have a good laugh though, including Dusty.

The days went by quickly, and soon it was time for the wedding. Blade really had to hand it to Dottie, she'd found the perfect location for the event. The whole town turned out for the simple affair, which was situated near the runway, right in front of a corn field. The ceremony was as beautiful as the scenery, and Blade spent the whole time trying not to cry. It would wreck his reputation. It didn't help that Dynamite, Pinecone, Dottie, Chug, Drip, Blackout, Avalanche, Patch, Sparky, and even Cabbie and Skipper were crying. He could see the girls and some of the guys crying, but Cabbie and Skipper? That was the breaking point for Blade, and he couldn't keep a few tears from falling. Dusty and Dipper looked so happy. After the ceremony, Blade saw Windlifter and Maru staring at him. Maru had a grin on his face that Blade just didn't trust. He'd tried to slip away quietly before anyone noticed his tears, but the looks on the faces of two of his team told him he wasn't as successful as he'd hoped to be. Thankfully, no one else seemed to notice as they were too busy congratulating the newlyweds.

A few days later, with Dustys' belongings packed and stored on the cargo plane, along with a crate marked 'for Cabbie,' everyone loaded and fueled up and took off for home. When they reached the Fusel Lodge, Dipper and Dusty landed. They would spend a couple nights at the lodge for their honeymoon. Blade hovered for a few seconds, and watched Jammer greet the happy couple. Dipper and Dusty were surprised when Jammer insisted on the arrangement, but they took the superintendent up on his hospitality. Everyone else headed to the base and settled in, talking about how beautiful the wedding was and how happy Dipper and Dusty were.

Blade was quietly heading for his hanger, when Maru practically yelled, "hey, Blade! I saw you crying at the wedding!" At that, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at their boss. For several seconds, Blade stood their speechless. Finally he replied, "yeah, so was just about everyone else!" At that, he turned and rolled into his hanger. He had a week of work to catch up on.


	3. Starting a New Life

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Planes or the canon characters.

 **Starting a New Life**

Dipper and Dusty settled into their room at the Fusel Lodge. The place was as beautiful as they remembered, and their room was first rate. As they settled on their landing gear to watch a movie together, Dusty couldn't help but reflect on the wedding.

 _It was the happiest day of his life. Everything turned out better than he and Dipper imagined it would. His friends back in his hometown had really come through. After they exchanged vows, and were pronounced husband and wife, Dusty looked over at his friends. He wasn't surprised to see most of them crying, but he_ was _surprised to see Cabbie, Skipper, and Blade crying. He privately hoped, for their sakes, that Maru didn't see them, or they would never hear the end of it._

"...Hear what I just said?," Dipper interrupted his thoughts. "Sorry," Dusty said, "I was lost in thought. Could you repeat that?" Dipper just sighed. "I said 'I'm glad we let Jammer talk us into staying here for a couple nights.'" Dusty smiled at his wife. "Agreed," he said, "this place is wonderful." At that, they turned their attention back to the movie. Later that night, they joined Jammer, Rake, and Pulaski for a can of oil. Jammer smiled at the two aircraft and said, "a toast to the newlyweds. May you have many happy years together!" At that, they all said "cheers!," and drank their oil.

Soon enough, they returned to Piston Peak Air Attack and settled into their new life. Their arrival back at base was noisy and culminated in a party so loud, Jammer himself came up from the lodge to see what the racket was. The next few weeks were mostly uneventful, save for the day Drip, Blackout, and Avalanche decided to prank Cabbie, which resulted in both Dynamite and Blade having to stop Cabbie from flattening the three jumpers, and Dusty truly felt as if he'd made the right decisions in life. Than one morning, Dusty woke to Dippers' prodding. "What's wrong?," he asked, worriedly. "I, I don't know," Dipper softly said, "I feel like something's wrong with me." At that, Dustys' instincts, sharpened by his training and careers as a racer and firefighter took over. "Come on," he said urgently, as he opened the hanger doors, let's get over to Marus' hanger." Dipper didn't protest as Dusty helped her across the base.

Maru was just starting to stir when Dusty helped Dipper into his hanger. "What's going on?," he asked, instantly alert. "Something's wrong with Dipper," Dusty said, anxiety clear in his voice, and on his face. Maru didn't waste any time. "Help her into the middle of the hanger," he barked, all business. "As for you," he said to Dusty, "you'll have to wait outside." While Maru began questioning Dipper, Dusty rolled outside. Unable to contain his anxiety, he began pacing in tight circles just outside the entrance to the hanger.

Blade knew something was wrong when he left his hanger that morning. The very first thing he saw was Dusty pacing in circles just outside Marus' hanger. He rushed over to the younger plane and asked him what was wrong. Dusty stopped pacing and looked at his boss, alarmed. "Something's wrong with Dipper!," he exclaimed in a rush, "I don't know what's going on! Maru hasn't said anything yet!" Blade gave Dusty his most level look. "Calm down," he said, gently. "Maru will come let you know what's going on soon enough." At that moment, the mechanic rolled out of his hanger headed towards Dusty and Blade.

Maru wasn't sure how to break the news as he stopped in front of the former racer and the chief. To Maru, Blades' presence was a pro and a con. On the one hand, Blade could keep Dusty calm, but, on the other hand, his being there made the upcoming conversation awkward for Maru, who would've preferred having this discussion with Dusty in private. Before he could say anything, Dusty blurted out "how is she?" Maru cleared his throat and said, "Physically, Dipper's fine. However, I do have some news for you." He looked Dusty right in the eye and said, "congratulations Dusty, you're gonna be a father."

Dusty was shocked speechless. He felt as if all the air had disappeared. Blade was saying something, but it sounded like he was far away. He was going to be a father? How would he handle this new responsibility? Dusty briefly thought about his own father, who he barely remembered. For much of his childhood, Dustys' father had barely been there for him. All Dusty knew was that his father was a sky writer who traveled a lot, and was rarely home with his wife and son. Then one day, he didn't return from a job. Rumor had it, he'd run out on his family. Unable to afford the house they were living in on her own, Dustys' mother had been forced to sell the house, and move in with relatives in Propwash Junction, along with Dusty. Now, Dusty would have to figure this out on his own. He didn't know the first thing about being a father, not having a good role model growing up. Dusty thought he heard someone call his name before everything went dark.

Blade was both surprised and pleased by the news Maru gave Dusty. He thought Dusty and Dipper would make good parents, and he said so to Dusty. When he got no response, he looked over at him and gasped. Dusty didn't look good at all. Maru also took notice, and called Dustys' name, trying to get a response. Blade also tried to get Dusty to respond, but the small plane just passed out. "Push him into the hanger!," Maru snapped. While Blade didn't like being ordered around, he'd let it slide this time. In short order, Blade and Maru got Dusty into the hanger, where Dipper was parked, looking happier than Blade had seen her since the wedding. Although her happiness turned to alarm when she saw Dusty. Before she could say anything, Maru said, "he just fainted. He'll be ok in a few." With that, he went to grab a bottle of his strongest high-grade to pass under the single props' nose, for the purpose of reviving him.

By that time, the rest of the crew were coming out of their hangers, getting on with their day. Avalanche happened to be passing by Marus' hanger when he heard Blade tell Dipper, "congratulations. You'll both make good parents." At that, Avalanche stopped and turned to look at Dipper and Dusty. "YOU'RE GONNA BE PARENTS?! CONGRATULATIONS!" Everyone else rushed over upon hearing Avalanches' yell, and Dusty started coming to.

The next thing Dusty knew, he was in Marus' hanger and everyone was talking excitedly to Dipper about the news. While the prospect of being a father was exciting, it was also scary for him. After a few minutes of everyone congratulating the couple, everyone went their own ways, including Dipper, who was parked just outside the hanger her and Dusty now shared, with Dynamite, Pinecone, and Patch. Dusty couldn't hear what the girls were talking about, but the others on base were giving them space. Before Dusty could leave the hanger, Maru blocked him and said, "you ok now, kid?" "Yeah, I'm fine," Dusty replied. Satisfied, Maru moved out of the SEATs' way, but before he made it a foot out of the hanger, Blade got in his way. "Ok, Dusty," he said, "you and I need to talk." Before Dusty could respond, Blade turned and rolled towards the end of the runway, motioning Dusty to follow him.

Blade stopped near the end of the runway, and turned to look Dusty in the eye. "So," he said, "you seem nervous about becoming a father. Why?" Dusty swallowed and said, "I don't know if I'll be a good father. I didn't exactly have the best role model." Dusty paused, unsure whether or not to go on. Blade nodded encouragingly, "go on," he said. Dusty sighed and said, "my own father was working out of town most of the time. When he was home, he was usually out with his friends. He paid very little attention to me or mom. Then, one day when I was ten, he left for a job and never returned. That was a hard time for both of us. Rumors about my father spread quickly. Everywhere I went, I heard people talking about what my father'd been up to. Having to hear everyone spreading rumors was hard on me and mom. After a few months, mom sold our house and we moved in with relatives in Propwash Junction. When I turned sixteen, I started working for Leadbottom. At eighteen, I got my own place. I worked as a crop duster for four years, but I always wanted to do more with my life. I never wanted to be like my father: a deadbeat skywriter who ran out on his family. I wanted to be somebody, to make a difference."

Blade sat there quietly while Dusty talked about his childhood. He was quite surprised. He never would've guessed that the young plane had such a difficult time as a kid. He gave Dusty his most level look and said, "you have done something with your life. You've made a difference to more people than you probably know. Both as a racer and a firefighter. The choices your father made were _his_ choices. You don't have to repeat them, and you don't have to go through this alone. Everyone here will support you, and I'm sure your friends in Propwash Junction will too. Just do the best you can for your family, and you'll have done better than your father."

Dusty stared at his boss for a few seconds. "Thanks," he said, "speaking of my friends in Propwash Junction, I should contact them and let them know the good news." With that, he turned and headed towards Marus' hanger which had the closest radio. As Blade watched from a distance, Dusty and Maru had a brief discussion before Maru rolled out of the hanger and turned towards Blade. "I wonder why Dusty advised me to leave the hanger while he shares the news with his friends," Maru said when he reached Blade. Seconds later, a chorus of screams and cries came from the hanger. "That's why," Blade deadpanned, earning a quick laugh from Maru.

If it was possible, Dustys' friends screamed even louder at his news of becoming a father than they did when he announced his engagement. "Be sure to tell Dipper we all said congratulations," Skipper said. All of them insisted on visiting the new parents when their offspring arrived. Dusty promised he'd clear it with Blade, and that he'd let them know when the happy event occurred. After a short conversation about names and how exciting the news was, Dusty said good bye and headed over to Dipper to pass the congratulatory message on to her.

To Dusty, the next several months went by too fast. Dusty made arrangements with Blade and Jammer for his friends to visit for a few days when it was time. Maru promised that he'd make the call when the time came, so Dusty could spend time with his family. Dusty was grateful for Maru and everyone else on the base. Jammer visited several times, checking up on how everything was going, and offering encouragement to Dusty and Dipper. Blade contacted the county about borrowing a tanker for fire season, as Maru had grounded Dipper for the time being.

When fire season came, it was thankfully mild. At first. There were a few fairly small isolated fires, but nothing like the previous season. County sent a tanker to Piston Peak at the start of the season, just in case, which turned out to be one of the best moves they'd made since the fire that nearly destroyed the park. Near the end of the season, a group of cars were camping, just having a good time, when a stray ember from their campfire landed on and ignited a nearby bush. Because of the dry conditions, the fire spread quickly. Realizing the danger, the cars dumped water on their campfire and rushed towards the lodge to alert them.

When the call came, Dusty was visiting Dipper in Marus' hanger. Seeing as how it was close to time, Maru had insisted Dipper move into his hanger so he could keep an eye on her. They were finalizing name choices when Patch announced the fire. Dusty said good bye to Dipper and rushed out to load up with the others. When they got to the fire, it had spread considerably. They immediately got to work trying to get the fire contained. By that night, they had the fire forty percent contained, and Blade was hopeful they'd get it out the next day. Upon returning to the base, Dusty headed straight for Dipper. He ended up staying with her that night, despite what Maru might say. The next morning, the team was out fighting the fire again. Luck was on their side in that there was no wind that day, and by late afternoon, the fire was out and everyone was headed back to base. Blade told the visiting tanker, he could stay that night and head back to his own base the next morning, so he wouldn't have to fly over the mountain range at night. Later that evening, Blade was in his hanger when he got a call from Dusty. It was time, he'd said. Blade left his hanger and went to tell everyone the news.

Later, every member of the team was gathered around Marus' hanger, cooing over the new arrivals. Dusty and Dipper had twins. One, a boy, looked just like Dipper, except he was mostly white, with two orange bars wrapped around his body, one near his tail, one just behind his eyes, and the other twin, a girl, looked just like Dusty, except she was yellow, with black racing stripes running down the sides of her body. Blade melted as he looked at the two newborn planes. He was vaguely aware of a few offhand comments about his "soft underside," and he knew that his reputation was totally wrecked, but he didn't care.

While everyone was adoring Dusty and Dippers' kids, Maru rolled over to his radio and contacted Propwash Junction. Dustys' friends were overjoyed by the news, and they quickly made arrangements to fly out the next morning. After awhile, almost everyone went back to their hangers, giving the new parents time to themselves. Blade, however, stayed to help Dipper back to her hanger, while Maru and Dusty gently towed the kids. Once the family was settled in their hanger, Blade went to his own hanger for the night.

Later that night, Drip was prowling through the base, up to no good. He hadn't played a good prank in some time, so that night seemed like the perfect time. Before he could choose his victim, however, he heard the sound of an approaching helicopter. Quickly darting into the shadows, he saw a unfamiliar helicopter lower a small crate near Blades' hanger. They then landed nearby and pushed the crate onto the helipad just in front of Blades' doors, and rolled away, taking off near the end of the runway. Looking back at the crate, Drip could see a set of tiny rotors sticking out over the top. He was about to head over to Cabbies' hanger (why not, the old warplane hadn't been pranked in so long, he probably thought everyone had given up on pranking him), when the tiny helicopter started crying. Drip backed further into the shadows and watched.

Blade was shocked awake by the sound of crying. What the? He slowly rolled over to his hanger doors, and opened them. What he saw caused him to stop short, shocked: there was a small crate containing a newborn helicopter that looked like a miniature version of him as "Blazin' Blade." Along with a note that read: 'This is your son. Because of my work, I can't take care of him, so I brought him to you. He doesn't have a name yet, I decided to leave that up to you.' After a few seconds, Blade contacted Maru. He didn't know how to deal with this situation. Thankfully, Maru quickly showed up, carrying a small can of specially formulated oil. Maru set the can down, lifted the chopper out of the crate, and followed Blade into his hanger with the newborn, before returning for the oil.

Drip watched all of this from the shadows. He realized this would make for a good story to tell everyone. He was just about to roll away when Maru rolled out of Blades' hanger. From the shadows, he heard Maru say, "so, I guess he's your son. Good luck. Call me if you need anything." Drip waited until Maru was back in his hanger before slipping quietly over to Cabbies' hanger. He planned to tell everyone about this, and he figured Cabbie would be the best plane to start with.


End file.
